Imagine: it was half past three. The brisk cold of the early morning sent chills down my spine, and the darkness screened my vision. Time began to slow. I could feel the pulsing of the blood in my veins in the still of the morning, awaiting the inevitable seven-hour drive. Yet we knew of what was to come; we knew time would compensate for itself so soon - as soon as we reached the "capitol" of capitals, the home to true and passionate leadership - Washington, D.C. Yes, it was time for the General Convention - for the 171st General Convention of Beta Theta Pi!
As we crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge, seeing the imposing size of the Pentagon to our right and the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial in the distance beyond it, we saw the potential in the upcoming days and were prepared to seize this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - because for our colony, this weekend was truly a pivotal moment. A charter was in sight, a further identity was obtainable, and the men to achieve this were there and, simply put, ready!
With sixteen brothers in attendance, we felt dominant all weekend. We were being recognized with a handful of awards, having brothers speak in front of the whole convention, and showing our strength in numbers we made sure to plant ourselves in Leadership College tracks in order to bring back as much advice as we could from brothers of similar and even different demographics - brothers who cared so much for our colony even though we had never met before. And while we had so much of a presence as the newest chartered chapter of Eta Epsilon, we made sure to maximize the experience: to meet as many new brothers as possible, to make effective proposals to the Board of Trustees for adjustments and innovations on ritual obligations and stronger application of recruitment programming, and to just soak in the rich history and architecture of a city one can never visit enough!
The weekend was truly a pinnacle of brotherhood bonding and leadership development. With numbers in the high hundreds, Leadership College was most effective as facilitators taught us time-tested skills that can be applied back in our individual chapters, colleges, and futures beyond. With inspirational words from Beta senators, astronauts, and journalists coupled with motivational music videos and one-on-ones from members of the Board, the 171st General Convention fostered a stronger, confident, and more understanding leader within me, with ever more friendships and awesome experiences with my brothers of Beta.
So when I say "imagine," know it CAN be a reality!
Reflection by Christopher D. Shaheen '12
Chapter Vice President
Chapter Vice President
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